Ask HN: Project based interviews in SF?

[sfthrowaway]

Are there companies in SF that do project based interviews? I am currently looking for a job in the bay area (from the East Coast), and I am finding it extremely tough/nerve wracking to do these live coding sessions that every SF based company seems to do. As I am still currently working, trying to line up these phone sessions during my days off are tough, but I really do not want to go on-site and do these white board tests as the only technical test of my ability. It seems like I have to pass them to get any kind of offer, and I feel like it would be beneficial (to both parties) if they can judge me of my abilities before they pay me to fly over there.

I just find it frustrating as I always hear about the huge demand of developers in the bay area, and I believe I have a great resume and work experience (at least good enough to get a response to companies I like) to at least get some type of position, but trying to schedule all these interviews and the added pressure of "performing" in front of someone that can make or break my plans is just not a very pleasant experience. That's why I'm looking for other ways to show off my technical abilities, and project based interviews seems to be ideal. I can work on them nights/weekends and overall, it is less time consuming (vs studying/planning/flying). Plus if a company rejects me, I feel like they at least judged me by my code rather than some interview question that I didn't get because of being too tired/stressed/etc.

[philipDS]

I've felt the same way for a long time... and the only way to get over it is to practice. Buy a whiteboard and practice at home. Buy some books (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Algorithms-Edition-Thomas... and/or http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Coding-Interview-Programming-...). You can also subscribe to http://codingforinterviews.com/.

Not exactly an answer to your question, I know. Most startups I know in SF/Bay Area at least do a technical test (either coding or just regular questions) on the spot. It is stressful, but as anything, you can learn how to do it.

[sfthrowaway]

Thanks for the recommended books and links. That's actually what I'm currently doing. Studying and practicing. I just wish there was a better way. I feel like I'm back to my school days where your SAT/GRE scores mean more than your body of work. Of course, the difference is that I have to take a test for each company I apply to now.

[timrosenblatt]

Wow, that's one big paragraph. :)

It's going to depend heavily on the companies you're applying to.

Do you have a Github account? That might help. Also if you've got a really healthy Stack Overflow account or similar, it might help change the course of your interview.

There was a thread the other day about this -- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8200562 -- where the OP is trying to avoid onsite interviews, so clearly they're out there.

On another level: you should know that there's no universal consensus on how to hire developers. If you keep talking to different companies, you'll find someone that's a good fit for you in your current situation.

Keep at it, and don't get frustrated.

[sfthrowaway]

Hah.. sorry about the long paragraph. I edited it so it's now two whopping paragraphs :) And thanks for the link, that's really useful!

An active github/stackoverflow account would definitely have helped me, but it seems like, those things just gets you to the first step of getting a phone interview. You will still have to go through the entire process. But yeah, I do just have to keep at it.

[timrosenblatt]

One other idea that comes to mind:

If you're talking about a company that's been around a while and has a big HR department, they're going to have a well-defined interview process, and you'll be playing by their rules.

A smaller company or a startup is more likely to be flexible, and you may be able to suggest that they give you a sample project to start. They may prefer this, as they don't have to pull an engineer off an active project to spend time interviewing you. Everyone is different, so if they don't like the suggestion, you may have to work with them.

I saw from another commenter that you are practicing your skills at working with someone. The time and energy you invest in your people skills will pay off in a lot of ways over the course of your career (and in your personal life), so it might help to think of this as an opportunity.

FWIW Here's my company's project (bottom of the page) http://cloudspace.com/hiring/

[hkarthik]

We do project based interviews for candidates with the right backgrounds. If you want to know more, my email is in my profile.